It’s no secret that BA editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
June 7
I am not a fan of grilling steak for a group. Medium here, a well-done over there, suddenly even the biggest grill seems to have too many hot spots (or not enough), and managing flare-ups starts to seem like a job better left to the fire department. Enter Hasselback Short Rib Bulgogi. Inspired by the bulgogi served at New York City’s Côte, it features boneless short ribs, deeply scored and marinated in an aromatic sweet and salty soy sauce mixture, then grilled until deeply burnished. That’s somewhere between medium and medium-well, the moment at which the exterior becomes a lunar landscape of craggy, luscious browned bits and every bite reaches peak flavor. Best of all, this recipe helps you avoid the temptation to obsessively check the interior temp of each piece since they will be so flavorful you won’t even care if some bits get a little more delicious char. —Chris Morocco, test kitchen director
It turns out that there is actually no better dinner party appetizer than thick slices of Sarah Jampell’s Shockingly Easy No-Knead Focaccia, topped with buttery stracciatella (not the gelato but essentially the creamy, stretchy insides of a ball of burrata) and a really good anchovy. I’m partial to the tins from Codesa, but it’s fun to open a few different brands to compare, if you have enough anchovy-eaters around. Start your focaccia the day before and let it rise in the fridge. —Maggie Hoffman, contributing editor
As an avid meat-eater with a vegetarian partner, I am constantly struggling to make dinners that satisfy both of our needs. While cooking my way through the Bon Appétit 56, I landed on Zaynab Issa’s Black Bean Smash Burgers. I never thought I’d be enthusiastic to eat beans in patty form, but the smokiness from the chipotles helped scratch my carnivorous itch. Once I got the hang of smashing each ball without thinning them out too much, I had perfectly sized patties that are delicious enough to replace fake meat forever. Add pickled red onions for a snap of acidity and a third patty if you’re extra hungry. —Rebecca Gorena, research fellow
Our genius solution for a black bean burger that’s not at all gummy: Treat it like a smash burger, griddle until crispy, and devour with lots of chipotle mayo.
I made this walnut layer cake for a good friend last week. To bring a little more of the current season into it, I slicked each layer with a thin coating of Bonne Maman’s outrageously good apricot-raspberry preserves before smearing on the frosting. The combination of nutty sponge cake, tart jam, and airy icing (that tastes like an Arby’s Jamocha shake in the best possible way, but still holds up to the heat of summer) is truly wonderful. Don’t skip toasting the nuts; that extra rich flavor and the crunch it gives the walnut garnish is key. —Joe Sevier, senior SEO editor
It takes a lot to get me excited about grating two pounds of zucchini by hand. The promise of a thick, slightly caramelized, rich pasta sauce made with little other than the green summer squash did the trick. And, as someone in perpetual search of an easy pasta dinner, I was delighted that this creamy lemon zucchini pasta was such a speedy and appealing way to get me to eat my vegetables. —Carly Westerfield, associate manager, audience strategy
With the help of the large holes on a box grater, zucchini transforms into a pile of soft shreds. Cook it down with olive oil, onion, and garlic and it becomes a creamy, caramelized mush that’s great spread on toast (like in the recipe this one was inspired by, Jennie Cook’s Zucchini Butter), stirred into scrambled eggs, or turned into pasta sauce with the assistance of cream and lemon juice. You’ll be amazed by how many zucchini cook down into this one dish—a very good thing when you’re staring down a pile of this prolific summer star.